Machine for opening and cleaning cotton or other fibers.



R. 6: J. GREENHALGH.

MACHINE FOR OPENING AND CLEANING COTTON OR OTHER FIBERS.

APPLICATION I'ILED DEO.10, 1904.

903,969. V Patented Nov; 17, 1908.

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R. & J. GREENHALGH. I MACHINE FOR OPENING AND GLBANING COTTON OR OTHER FIBERS.

I ArrLmA'non FILED DBO.10, 1904. 903,969.

Patented Nov. 17,1908.

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RICHARD GREENHALGH AND JOSIAH GREENHALGH, OF OLDHAM, ENGLAND.

MACHINE FOR OPENING AND CLEANING COTTON OR OTHER FIBERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 17, 1908.

Application filed December 10, 1904. Serial No. 236,332.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, RICHARD GREEN- HALGH'iLilCl JOSIAH GREENHALGH, subjects of Great Britain, residing at Oldham, in the county of Lancaster, Kingdom of Great Britain, have invented new and useful Improvements in Machines for Opening and Cleaning Cotton or Other Fibers, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to that type of apparatus for opening and cleaning cotton, cotton waste, wool and the like, known as willows The object of our invention is firstly, to provide the inlet of the machine with an intermittently rotated feeder adapted to push the fibers to be treated into the inlet of the machine and capable of being charged either by hand or mechanically while it feeds the machine. This rotary feeder insures the fibers being fed into the machine more quickly and positively and obviates the necessity of lowering the grid when feeding.

The object of our invention is secondly, to provide an improved form of delivery device whereby the fibers are freed from impurities which they may still contain while being delivered, whereby the efficiency and capacity of such machines is greatly improved.

IVe attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying two sheets of drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side view, and Fig. 2 a plan of the feeding and delivery end of a willow constructed in accordance with our in vention, Figs. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 are sectional side views showing various forms of our improved feeding device.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

In carrying out our invention and referring to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, this rotary feeder for instance, consists of a plain trough a forming in cross section an arc of a circle employed in front of the inlet 1) of the machine having raised ends 0 and of a blade (Z carried by a shaft 0 suitably mounted and adapted to rotate in the trough a and push the fibers to be treated previously placed into the same through the inlet Z) into the machine, the said trough being capable of being charged while the said blade feeds the machine.

The blade (Z may be secured to the shaft 6 by means of brackets f, as shown in Fig. 8, or in any other suitable manner.

According to another form, see Fig. 4, our rotary feeder may consist of a rotary drum 9 having one or more blades d radiating from the center which divide the drum into one or more compartments h into which the fibers to be treated are placed, the inlet 2' of each compartment when opposite the inlet 7) of the machine serving also as outlet and allowing the fibers in the respective c0m partinent to pass through the inlet 5 into the machine while at the same time theother compartments of the drum can be charged with fibers.

The same result, as that shown in Fig. 4, may be attained in the manner shown in Fig. 5, by simply securing two blades (Z to the feeder shaft 6 (which blades may be curved).

The rotary feeder described may-be rotated intermittently or continuously in any convenient manner, say as in the present instance intermittently, by means of a chain 7.: and chain wheels Z actuated from the intermittently rotated deliver door motion wheel m, see Figs. 1 and 2.

The rotary feeder described may be charged with fibers direct by hand, or automatically as shown in Fig. 6, by employing in front thereof, a beater a rotating over a grid 0 in connection with a pair of feed rollers 79 and a feed lattice g whereby the rotary feeder may be continuously supplied with the fibers to be treated and the latter freed from a certain amount of impurities before entering the feeder, the said impurities being caught by a suitable chute r and thereby conveyed underneath the grid of the machine.

In some cases we may dispense with the beater n and grid 0, as shown in Fig. 7, and only use the feed rollers 39 and lattice Q in connection with the said trough, or use the lattice 9 alone, as shown in Fig. 8.

In some cases we may furnish the machine inlet 6 with a door s adapted to close it while willowing. This door, suitably guided at each end, is closed and opened, say by means of cams t, operating levers u in which latter the door ends 0 pivotally engage, see Fig. 1. In Figs. 3, 4, 5, 7 and 8 such door is shown closed, and in Fig. 6 open.

Our invention consists in the second place in dispensing with the lattice by which the treated fibers hitherto have been delivered and employing in lieu thereof in front of the delivery door w, Figs. 1 and 2, a spiral conveyer 90 adapted to rotate in a perforated trough y and deliver the treated fibers out of the machine, the said perforated trough permitting small impurities which may be still left in the treated fibers to leave them by dropping through the perforations in the trough 3 What we claim as our invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a machine for opening and cleaning cotton and other fibers, a plain fiber trough in cross section forming an arc of a circle with inner edge adjacent to the machine inlet and adapted to receive the fibers at its outer edge, an intermittently rotated feeder.

mounted concentrically in the said troughto push at each intermittent rotation the fibers in a lump direct into the said inlet from whence they are drawn into the machine to be operated upon and at the same time permit of the said trough receiving a fresh charge of fibers, all combined substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a machine for opening and cleaning cotton and other fibers, a plain fiber trough in cross section forming an arc of a circle with inner edge adjacent to the machine inlet and adapted to receive the fibers at its outer edge, an intermittently rotated feeder mounted concentrically in the said trough consisting of a shaft carrying a blade to push at each intermittent rotation the fibers in a lump direct into the said inlet from whence they are drawn into the machine to be operated upon and at the same time permit of the said trough receiving a fresh charge of fibers, all combined substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a machine for opening and cleaning cotton and other fibers, in combination a plain trough secured outside along the ma chine inlet for receiving the fibers to be fed into the machine and an intermittently rotated feeder in the said trough which during each intermittent rotation pushes the fibers from the latter in a lump direct into the said inlet and lattice for supplying the said feeder, all substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4:. In a machine for opening and cleaning cotton and other fibers, in combination a plain trough secured outside along the machine inlet for receiving the fibers to be fed into the machine and an intermittently rotated feeder in the said trough which during each intermittent rotation pushes the fibers from the latter in a lump direct into the said inlet, a pair of feed rollers adjacent thereto and a lattice for feeding the fibers between the said rollers, all substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In a machine for opening and cleaning cotton and other fibers, in combination a trough secured outside along the machine inlet for receiving the fibers to be fed, an intermittently rotated feeder in the said trough adapted to push the fibers from the latter in portions at intervals direct into the said in let, a grid adjacent to the said trough and a beater, a pair of feed rollers adjacent to the said grid and a lattice in connection with the said rollers, the said beater passing the fibers from the said rollers into the said trough, all substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

RICHARD GREENHALGH. JOSIAH GREENI-IALGH. Vitnesses ALFRED BOSSHARDT, STANLEY E..BRAMALL. 

